Survey Question # 7

[kalphs]

Hello WTM Families,
Here is the final question in the survey.
 

[RootAnn]

If you answer "no" to the first question, you are still required to answer the second one - so it would help if there was a "not applicable" choice. :-)

[bpskowski]

I answered no to first question and it won't let skip the next question.

[SilverMoon]

I didn't cast a vote in this one. I've never been to a convention because I've never lived close enough to one that sounded worth going to.

 

I could care less what sort of convention it was as long as it's actually about homeschooling. DH and I are considering going to the state one this year; for once well over half the topics are actually educational rather than the parenting/marriage/once-a-month cooking variety they usually have.

[Ewe Mama]

1. No, none close enough to bother with

 

2. Not applicable

[Crimson Wife]

I've never been to a convention. The local secular one typically is held during our annual trip back East to visit relatives & in-laws. It also has an "unschooling" flavor to it so it's not worth the gas & registration fee even the years I can go.

[Dory]

I have been to a convention and it was faith based, but that's only because it's the only choice within driving distance.

[Mergath]

Nope.  I wouldn't get enough out of a convention to justify the price and the driving time.

[Ethel Mertz]

I voted "No" for the first part of the question and then I had to vote "other" for the second part (otherwise, the survey wouldn't record my vote). Attending conventions isn't worth the cost for us.

[purpleowl]

I didn't vote, because my answer would be "not yet" since my kids are still young and there aren't any local ones, so I haven't been able to justify it to myself, but I would like to go to one and expect that I will in the next year or so.

[Haiku]

I quit going to homeschool conventions because they were too conservative-Christian-lifestyle-focused.

[Lolly]

1. I have been to a convention a couple of times. Probably about 10 years ago. I did not find them to be helpful in the least and quit wasting my money and time on t hem.

 

2. NA

[Ms.Ivy]

1, no

2, N/A (I marked "other")

[Luckymama]

I've attended RFWP (Royal Fireworks Press---MCT language arts etc) conferences twice and the VA Homeschoolers inclusive conference once.

[regentrude]

1. No. No interest and need and time.

2. had to answer other, because it insisted I answer both quetsions

[maize]

I have been to more than one type of convention, you need to allow multiple answers.

[73349]

I went to one faith-based convention in my state a couple of years ago, didn't like it much and don't plan to go back, so I voted No. (I am not interested in lifestyle or political offerings at all, and the worldview expressed there was not well-aligned with ours.)

 

I might go to another state's non-religious convention next year, as I've heard that it is good. My state's inclusive convention is in a wildly inconvenient location, I believe to save $.

[athomeontheprairie]

I voted yes, I've fine several times to the only one close to me (4 hours away). It is faith based and more so each year. And each year there is more lifestyle workshops and fewer school workshops. I will most likely not go back. I'll find away to get to a different conference out if state next year (or maybe the year after? )

[freeindeed]

I voted no because I've never attended a homeschool convention, but I'd like to attend one.

[MinivanMom]

1. No

2. Other, because it made me vote for something.

 

If there was a homeschooling convention that was about homeschooling from an academic or educational perspective, then I would be very interested in attending. I'm not interested in conventions that focus on religion, parenting, or lifestyle. I won't even attend the convention hosted by homeschoolers of my own faith; there is too much focus on religion and not enough on homeschooling.

[Sherry in OH]

1. No

2. Other because I had to choose something

[ForeverFamily]

No.  Every year I look in to going to the convention in my state, but I have never had the time to do so.  I also have never been very impressed by the list of workshops/speakers or vendors, so I have a hard time justifying spending the money to attend.  I would much rather spend the time planning next years curric or listening to audio lectures at home ;) !

[Aspasia]

Yep. I've been to the VA Homeschoolers conference three times and I LOVE it. I love going there to hear from my favorite veteran homeschool heroes, and they get great keynotes (like SWB). It isn't political or religious AT ALL and you can find sessions about everything from unschooling to preparing transcripts. They have a big used resource fair filled with steals. It's fabulous, very much worth my time and money, and a fun little getaway for me every spring. :)

[FO4UR]

I've only been to one convention, and it was Charlotte Mason specific.

 

 

If I'm giving up the time and money required for a convention, it will be something that has academic merit. I find lifestyle and religious inspiration elsewhere.

[wingedradical]

I'm currently homeschooling foster daughter after being empty nest.  I homeschooled my sons, mostly in 80's and 90's. During the 90's, I was coordinator several years straight for a fairly large state convention - so, I always went, lol.

 

Last year, I went to the state organized one in my current state. I was so excited to be going since I was curious about what new stuff was available. I was even interested in what's there for younger children, since I just love learning. Well, I will not return this year. Partly, this is because my DFD is a senior this fall and our course is pretty much set. But mostly - three reasons:

 

1)there were new things, but it was just more of the same and more expensive. There was nothing *really* new.

 

2)it didn't seem to be a convention for educators, it seemed to be a convention for propagandists. You know, people, even if you are in possession of a truth, you can propagandize it instead of teaching it and that isn't good. If you are that kind of homeschooling parent, be honest and call it home propagandizing, not home education.

 

3)too expensive - mainly because they hire all those "names" to propagandize. The curriculum distributors will peddle their products for free and are more than willing to speak about them (for free) if you give them a slot. I don't want to pay money to see some big name whose words I can read online if I really want to.

 

So, I won't return this year.

[abba12]

There are no conventions anywhere near me (Do we have any conventions at all here in Australia? I don't know of any)

[Farrar]

Does "State Grass Roots Convention" mean just your statewide group?  I wasn't sure.

[Jackie]

2. Answered other, meant N/A. I would likely attend one if there were secular options near me, but everything is religious/GHC.

[Ecclecticmum]

1) No

 

2)No

 

No conventions here in Australia except for more odd ones that are more a meeting of minds.

[IsabelC]

There are no conventions anywhere near me (Do we have any conventions at all here in Australia? I don't know of any)

 

Well there might be in Sydney or Melbourne. I know there was a big unschooling shindig going on a while ago, so it wouldn't surprise me if there were homeschooling conventions.

But there aren't any down here in Tassie.

I would be there in a flash if there were ;)

[shinyhappypeople]

1) Yes 2) GHC and a smaller local convention, 

[Jenny in Florida]

I voted "no" to the first question, although I have browsed the vendor hall at the large local convention a couple of times over the years. I've never attended the convention, itself, primarily because it is far too conservatively religious in tone for me.

 

I voted "other" on the second question, because I have attended a couple of small "resource fairs" sponsored by a fledgling secular state-wide organization. It wouldn't really consider it a "convention," but I had to vote on the second question in order to enter my vote for the first.

[Snow]

I have attended once since it was very cheap for first time attendees. It was the local/state convention and I guess it is faith based, or at least has religious affiliation.

[foxbridgeacademy]

No.

There's never any close enough that have much that would interest me.  They're all either faith-based or unschooling.... I'm neither.  I'd go to a Curriculum fair that was secular or faith neutral in a heart beat.  Good thing those don't happen very often or I'd probably be broke.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Yep. I've been to the VA Homeschoolers conference three times and I LOVE it. I love going there to hear from my favorite veteran homeschool heroes, and they get great keynotes (like SWB). It isn't political or religious AT ALL and you can find sessions about everything from unschooling to preparing transcripts. They have a big used resource fair filled with steals. It's fabulous, very much worth my time and money, and a fun little getaway for me every spring. :)

Sounds perfect!  Why can't there be more like that?

[myfunnybunch]

No.

[Rosie_0801]

No. I don't think we even have conventions here.

[ErinE]

7) No. There are none that I'd feel comfortable attending nearby. I'd love to hear certain speakers though.

8) Most of the conventions near me are sponsored by groups with a particular worldview I don't support.

[Momto6inIN]

I chose Other for #2 because we have been to both Great Homeschool Conventions and local state conventions.  We choose which one we want to attend that year based on our needs - if we're looking for curriculum, we choose Great Homeschool Conventions because it has a wider variety of vendors.  If we're just looking for encouragement and some good workshops, we go to our local state convention.

[Denise in Florida]

I choose other for conventions. I have been to both State and Local levels, I would prefer secular but the only available option is religious. I attend the most useful workshops and ignore the other stuff. 

[Hen]

1)  I said yes- but, I enthusiastically went to our big faith based convention when we first started homeschooling, every year for for 4 years and then...

 

I stopped going because it was too faith-based, and they encouraged charter school family-bashing.  The last year we went was the last straw, one of the sessions we went to hardly touched on the topic and spent most of the time painting fathers and families as "less then" if they did not have family bible study in the morning, led by the father, before he left for work. 

 

dh is in construction, I have no desire to get everyone up at 4:30 a.m so he can lead bible study and I resent the implication that he is less Christian because of it.

 

I skipped the homeschool convention for the next decade plus until the Great Homeschool Convention came near last year.  It was much better in tone, I'm not going this year though because it's further than I want to drive and after skipping conventions for some many years, I guess i'm over them.

[mom31257]

I voted other on the last question because I would and have attended any of those kinds of conventions. I love all conventions and am not a conventionist.  :laugh:

[littlebug42]

Generally, no.  I have gone before to the local Catholic homeschool conference to shop and once to hear a speaker I was interested in.  While I enjoyed that, overall I don't find them terribly valuable. 

[dsmith]

I voted yes, I do attend conventions, but it is only occasionally. I voted faith based because that is what is offered near me, but it doesn't necessarily represent my faith. I'm Catholic and I have yet to see a Catholic vendor there, although there are some Catholic friendly offerings. I plan on attending my first Catholic convention in August.